Control Trac system??

Otis413 · Feb 4, 2019

So, my bro-in-law and I just went half n half on a 1997 Explorer sport. Went to look at it yesterday, 4.0 OHC from a Mustang (turns over, no fuel pressure), auto trans, 4.10 gears and a Control-Trac T case, hasn't been run in 5 years, $300 and just have to tow it home..
He wants the motor and I get the rest, mostly I was wanting the rear axle and the overhead console for my 04 Ranger.
But the Control-trac setup has me interested, I really can't find out much about it from google except it's not AWD but an automatic 4WD system (AUTO, 4 high & 4 low).
So if anyone is familiar with this setup, How well does it work? Is it a stand alone system I can adapt to my 04 Ranger without too much re-wiring? And can I safely flat tow it home, abt 35 miles without removing the drive shafts?

Thanks for any info!

Oh yea, and what's with that single leaf spring... looks like it might make the start of a good home brew lift.

alwaysFlOoReD · Feb 4, 2019

I can't help on the t-case, but the leaf is probably fiberglass. I've heard of them but never seen one.

Dirtman · Feb 4, 2019

Alot of stuff in the 90's had fiberglass mono leaf springs. They were/are one of those things that sound good on paper and people keep trying and trying but they just never catch on.

As for the 4x4 system, Chrysler used a similar setup in their suvs that im familiar with. Its awful... But its also Chrysler... Ford undoubtedly made it at least slightly better but i have no experience with them. I know it uses the ABS, wheel, and speed sensors so definitely would need some creative electrical work...

adsm08 · Feb 4, 2019

The transfer case/Auto 4x4 setup isn't anything super special, but it won't be easy to adapt to the Ranger either. Lot's of software.

It is you basic part-time e-shift 4x4 system, but it can never be truly left in 2wd because the computer is monitoring the wheel speed sensors, and so if it sees one end moving and the other not it puts it in 4x4 assuming you are stuck.

I had a customer years ago who had no idea what he was doing, jacked the back of his Explorer up to look for a wheel bearing noise, and almost killed himself when it went into 4x4 on it's own and took off because he left the front wheels on the ground.

91stranger · Feb 5, 2019

I actually used to have a 1997 explorer with the full time awd and it was a piece of shit. It was nice when it would drive smoothly but after about 10 minutes min would start to down shift and up shift really hard and pop all the time constantly. Not just once or twice. I mean literally the entire drive after the fluid warmed up. No one could give me a straight answer... it was always, "replace the transmission and see if it still does it" and i didn't have the money to throw expensive parts at it at the time. It was probably more transmission or electrical related but it annoyed me enough to junk it bc I was hard up for money. Wish I would have kept it now bc it had the 5.0 in it. When I first got it, it would run great and get right up to 95-100 mph no problem lol.

8thTon · Feb 5, 2019

Interesting design problem - you can tell when to engage the 4WD because the wheels are slipping and the ABS sensors can see that. But how do you tell when to take it out of 4WD? Presumably the slipping stopped when it went into 4WD and now there is no way to tell. All you can do is periodically put it back in 2WD and see. Sounds like a cheap way to attempt AWD without spending on a center diff - I wouldn't want it.

I've had serious AWD in my full sized Jeeps with an NP229 and viscous coupled center diff + a LS in the back, and similar in my 1st gen Santa Fe. Those systems were awesome for snow but sucked fuel. I've had traditional 4WD in my F250 with no center diff, which also worked great and it's not all that hard to move a lever when you need the traction! Why the hell does everything need to be automatic?

There are systems with an open center diff that use the ABS system and the brakes to slow the spinning wheel, which should be a decent approach.

rusty ol ranger · Feb 5, 2019

I had it on my expeditions. I believe it used a magentic clutch in the transfer case. Im sure itd be alot of work to swap the software and things, plus, honestly its worthless. I never used it opting for regular 4x4 in most situations.

The Only time it was handy was when it was slightly slick and i had to pull out into traffic.

85_Ranger4x4 · Feb 5, 2019

Mom had it in her '02 Explorer. It took us years to convince her that "no the roads really are bad your car just goes into 4wd automatically so you don't know it"

"but the light never came on..." :annoyed:

And then when I met my wife it was the same story with her AWD Edge. It gets around so good she has never had to turn the AWD on.

"Ok, how do you turn it on?"

"I never looked it up, I never needed to" :annoyed:

19Walt93 · Feb 5, 2019

You don't turn AWD on and off, the default position is 4x4 Auto and it takes speed sensor readings to decide whether or not it's needed. Some of them had a 4X4 position which wasn't all wheel drive. The system is sensitive to tire circumference differences, the spec we had was no more than 3/8" difference, other than that change the fluid every 30k or so with Mercon III and you're good to go. Ford lost the copyright to "Mercon III" so they no longer sell it, they do sell "transfercase fluid" for about $12 a quart that meets mercon III specs, or you can go to a parts store and pay $3 a quart for their version of mercon III. Unless someone has added the neutral tow kit you can't tow it with the wheels on the ground, I'd pull the driveshafts.

snoranger · Feb 5, 2019

The Control Trac system on the Explorer wasn't a bad system. It was good for on-road light snow or sporadic slippery conditions.
In the "auto" position it would engage the front driveshaft by energizing an electromagnet in the T-case. The magnet pulled on a plate that pressed against 3 rollers. The rollers road up a "ramp" and wedged against another plate. That engaged the front driveshaft... you were in "4wd".

The T-case had 2 speed sensors on the rear housing, they measured the front and rear output speeds. When the front and rear driveshaft speeds were different (by whatever Ford decided was wheel slip, I don't remember the exact amount.), the GEM would send a signal to the Torque-on-demand relay to engage the electromagnet.

With the 97 system (95/96 is different, but similar) you can install it and do the "brown wire mod" (google it) and have 2wd, auto 4wd, true 4wd, and 4low.

rusty ol ranger · Feb 5, 2019

19Walt93 said:
You don't turn AWD on and off, the default position is 4x4 Auto and it takes speed sensor readings to decide whether or not it's needed. Some of them had a 4X4 position which wasn't all wheel drive. The system is sensitive to tire circumference differences, the spec we had was no more than 3/8" difference, other than that change the fluid every 30k or so with Mercon III and you're good to go. Ford lost the copyright to "Mercon III" so they no longer sell it, they do sell "transfercase fluid" for about $12 a quart that meets mercon III specs, or you can go to a parts store and pay $3 a quart for their version of mercon III. Unless someone has added the neutral tow kit you can't tow it with the wheels on the ground, I'd pull the driveshafts.

My expeditions (97 and a 98) had "2wd, A4WD, 4hi 4low" selections. After 98 it there was no 2wd selection. So yes i could run normal 2wd

snoranger · Feb 5, 2019

rusty ol ranger said:
My expeditions (97 and a 98) had "2wd, A4WD, 4hi 4low" selections. After 98 it there was no 2wd selection. So yes i could run normal 2wd

So you had 2wd, AUTO 4wd, 4hi, and 4low.... that's not AWD. That's AUTO 4wd and it works just like I said before.

19Walt93 · Feb 5, 2019

I though he was talking about an Explorer not an Expedition. Explorer's and electric 4x4 Rangers don't have a neutral position and shouldn't be flat towed. I don't believe Expeditions have a neutral either.

Otis413 · Feb 5, 2019

Thanks for the input guys! :beer:

Looks like the Control trac swap would be more trouble then its worth. We're going to go get it this saturday, pull the driveshafts just to be safe.

alwaysFlOoReD said:
I can't help on the t-case, but the leaf is probably fiberglass. I've heard of them but never seen one.

The mono-leaf sure looked like rusted steel, but I didn't reach under to feel it. There were what looked like 3 or 4 short pieces of leaf spring between the spring and the plate the shock bolts onto, spacers I guess for the shock length(?)

Anyway, lots of parts we can use, as of this evening we've decided to take whats left, chop the top off and build a buggy out of whats left. A spare time spare parts project... :icon_confused:

rusty ol ranger · Feb 6, 2019

snoranger said:
So you had 2wd, AUTO 4wd, 4hi, and 4low.... that's not AWD. That's AUTO 4wd and it works just like I said before.

Yes i get that. But it was still AWD when you selected "A4WD". When the rears slipped the fronts grabbed automatically.

Control Trac system??

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